


Scruffle Shuffle

by captainflintsjacket



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas fic, M/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 18:56:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20440892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainflintsjacket/pseuds/captainflintsjacket
Summary: This is a modern-AU based on the prompt “Character A is desperate to find a particular item (book/toy/etc.) as a present for someone, but it’s been sold out everywhere. Character B helps”





	Scruffle Shuffle

Bones approached Jim Kirk’s door with the resignation of a man who’d exhausted all other options. He knew he shouldn’t have waited so long to get Jo’s present, but then Jim had snagged a huge client and Bones was forced to clock more hours in the office.

“Hell of a lotta good that did me,” he grumbled as he knocked. There was no answer. Slowly, Bones opened the door and poked his head in, spotting Jim with his feet up on the desk, fast asleep. Bones stared for a few seconds and wondered how Jim ever managed to become the VP.

“Jim.” Bones called, entering the office. No answer but a soft snore. Bones reached over the desk and shoved Jim’s feet off.

He shot up and announced: “I don’t like asparagus.” Jim looked around, clearly still half asleep.

Bones raised an eyebrow, having given up trying to figure out how Jim’s mind worked long ago. “I won’t put any in the Christmas basket, then.”

“Bones! You, uh, you..you’re here. I wasn’t sleeping.”

“Course not,” Bones said as he settled into the leather chair in front of Jim’s desk.

“So,” Jim smoothed down the front of his suit jacket, “what can I do ya for?”

“I need the afternoon off.”

“Mmm, you know I love you Bones, but we’ve got a client coming this afternoon.”

“I know, I know, it’s just….there’s something I’ve gotta do.”

Jim frowned as he tried to balance a pen on his top lip. “What “something” is that?”

Bones sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. “I forgot to buy Joanna’s Christmas present.” Jim’s dramatic gasp was cut short by Leonard’s glare. “I only forgot because you’ve been working me to the damn bone.”

“I have, haven’t I?” Jim rubbed the back of his neck, feeling suddenly guilty. “Tell you what. I’ll clear my schedule and take you to lunch. Then we can go looking together.”

“Oh no, you don’t-” Bones started, rising from the chair, but Jim already had his phone in his hands.

“Yes, Mr. Spock. I’m heading out early today. Can you handle the meeting with the Romulan Trading Company this afternoon? That’s why you’re the best,” Jim smiled, hanging up the phone. “God, I love being in charge.”

Bones glared at him. “You really didn’t have to.”

Bones had to admit, lunch with Jim wasn’t the worst thing that could’ve happened. He had a quick wit and damn fine taste in steakhouses. Even the whiskey tasted sweeter, but maybe that’s because Jim was paying.

“Where to first,” Jim asked, holding the car door open for Bones to slide in.

“I dunno. Figured probably Toys ‘R’ Us.”

Jim stared at Bones, door still ajar. “Are you serious? Is he serious right now, Sulu,” Jim asked his driver.

Mr. Sulu looked up in the rear view mirror. “Seems serious to me, boss.”

“Where have you been for the last year, Bones? Toys ‘R’ Us closed.” Jim shut the door as he said it, and Bones probably would have rolled his eyes at the dramatics of it all if he wasn’t currently up to his blue turtleneck in panic.

“What the hell do you mean it’s closed?”

“Went bankrupt. They closed all the stores. Did you really not hear about it?”

“Where the hell am I supposed to buy kids toys now,” Bones snapped, throwing his arms up only to smack his hands against the roof of the car. He hissed in pain and Jim tried his best to cover a laugh with a cough.

“Sulu, you have a daughter, right,” Jim asked. “Where do you get her toys?”

“Best shop in town,” he said, cranking up the engine.

“This is the worst toy shop in town,” Bones grumbled, leaving the store empty-handed. “They’ve barely got anything on the shelves.”

“Yeah, because it’s like two days before Christmas,” Jim said. He held the door open for Bones again before holding his phone out to Sulu, who nodded and started the car.

This pattern repeated for nearly two hours. Bones was sure they’d hit every toy shop in the city and, while Jim care out with an armful of toys (some for himself) each time, Bones kept coming out with nothing. His feet ached. His back ached. Muscles in his neck that he didn’t know he had ached.

“It’s hopeless,” he said, dropping onto a bench outside the shopping center. He cradled his head in his hands, trying with every cell in his body to think of anything besides the disappointment on Jo’s face when she opened her presents Christmas morning and didn’t find the one thing she’d asked him for. He could practically hear his ex-wife’s voice telling him “It’s no wonder our marriage fell apart. You’re married to your job. Couldn’t even find time to get a gift for your daughter.”

“Cheer up, Bones,” Jim said, rubbing his hand up Bones’ back and stopping at the nape of his neck. Jim massaged the muscles there gently, and Bones felt a modicum of relief. “We still have time to hit the stores in the town over.

“They’re not gonna have it either. It’s the most popular toy of the season. I should’ve bought it months ago.”

“You don’t know they don’t have it until we look.” Bones dropped his hands between his knees, watching the people pass by. “What exactly is it we’re looking for again?”

“A Scruffling.”

“Bless you,” Jim said.

Bones leaned back so he could scowl at Jim. “Shut up. It’s a toy, and Jo wanted one and now they’re all sold out, and Jocelyn’s never gonna let me hear the end of it.”

“Hm. Probably.” Jim stayed solemn for all of two seconds before he cracked another grin at his friend. “Oh come on, I’m just kidding. Jo loves you to death, even if you don’t manage to find whatever the Scruffle thing is. What is it anyway?”

“I don’t know. Some kind of animal rescue thing. You wash ‘em and comb ‘em out and it turns into some kinda animal.”

“Oh, a Scruff-a-Luv,” Jim said as realization hit him.

“You’ve heard of it?” Despite his best efforts, hope had found its way back into Bones’ voice.

“Yeah, dude, I bought some at the second shop we visitied.” Jim stood as he spoke, walking over to the car parked. He popped the trunk as Bones walked up, revealing the spoils of today’s adventures.

“But I asked at every shop we went to.”

Jim laughed. “Yeah, you asked for a Scruffling. It’s a Scruff-a-Luv. They probably said no because they had no idea what you were talking about.”

“But you have some?”

“Yeah,” Jim said, rifling through the bags. He pulled out three packages. “I’ve got the dog, the bunny, and the bear. You can take your pick.”

“How much were they,” Boned asked as he reached for his wallet. Jim put his hand on Bones’ arm to stop him.

“Consider it a Christmas bonus.”

Bones laughed too. He couldn’t believe his luck. “I could kiss you.”

“Save it for the office party, big guy,” Jim said with a wink, slamming the trunk shut.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr @trade-baby-blues


End file.
